The fifteen REE can be grouped into light and heavy lanthanides. The light REE are lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium and europium. The heavy REE are gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. Scandium and yttrium are not true REE but are often categorized as such since they are often co-located and have similar properties.

The production of many clean-energy products relies upon the availability of heavy REE (HREE), typically available in reduced concentration in most mineral deposits. Canadian mineral endowment combined with world-renowned geological and metallurgical expertise would suggest that there is a strong potential for Canada to be an important global supplier of HREE in the near future.

Over the past 15 years, research and knowledge have evolved regarding the characteristics and uses of rare earth elements such that many of these materials have become indispensible in the manufacture of advanced technological equipment with a particular focus on clean-energy applications such as wind turbines and hybrid/electric cars. Most consumer electronic devices require REE and new technologies being developed for water purification, desalination, magnetic refrigeration, and more energy-efficient light bulbs will need REE as well.

Although Canada does not currently produce significant amounts of REE, it relies upon the import of REE-containing components for the manufacture of key products in many industries. Thus, while the sector directly involved in REE was worth about US$1.25 billion in 2009, its indirect value throughout the global economy may be measured in trillions of dollars.

About US

WELCOME to the Canadian Rare Earth Elements Network, or CREEN. The CREEN website is hosted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). The purpose of this website is to act as an information clearinghouse for research, development and demonstration projects involving rare earth elements.

Mines to Markets

It takes a remarkable amount of time, money and energy to find minerals, develop deposits, attract investors, perfect mineral processing and metallurgical flow sheets, build mines, extract the raw materials and eventually bring products – be they mineral or metal – to market.

Global Use of REE's

Over the course of twenty years, when global production of REE became concentrated in China, science unlocked the unique characteristics of these minerals by demonstrating their invaluable use in high technology products, electronics miniaturization and energy efficiency applications.

Global REE Production

China's dominance in the international rare earth supply chain is a result of decades of market forces and changing global economics that saw resource production and many manufacturing activities move from high cost to lower cost regions.